Which class did you observe? It appears that your observation is not representative of the school as a whole and I would caution other students to visit and judge for themselves because in my experience the students are far from "gloomy." If the class was large I bet it was a first year class, which means the section has about 80 students, not 100; 2L and 3L classes are much smaller. As for the Socratic Method, it can be intimidating, but it serves a purpose which may seem "unnecessary" or "extreme" when observed by a 0L.

Speaking of classes: Hastings' size is a benefit because you have more classes from which to choose. Our size is a benefit because it assists in developing a variety of strong on campus groups rather than just a handful. Additionally, along with the smaller student body you have fewer class options, fewer professors, and a limited alumni network. Is Davis located next to any Federal courts?

Hastings is in a big city and that comes with a big city lifestyle. yes there are drug dealers and the homeless, but a polite "no thanks" usually does the trick to let them know you are not interested. Access to every court in the nation except for the US Supreme and all the legal opportunities in the Bay Area is a huge trade off for having to say "no thanks" once in a while.

Davis might be "definitely the better option" if you are concerted with driving your car to the library rather than walking, but other than that I'm not so sure the the "definitely better" conclusion is warranted. Many students that want access to a car and live in the residence tower (The Tower) which lets them pay well under market rates for SF housing, and then sign up for a service like ZipCar so they can access a car for super cheap.

Students should really investigate the school for themselves and think about the options available to them both before and after graduation. If you know you want to work in Sacramento, go to Davis without a doubt. If you know you want to work in SF, go to Hastings without a doubt. If you are on the fence, look at the school that has more options in your field. Don't have a field? then go with the "better" school in how you weigh your school preferences. Don't like a big city then go to Davis. Think you might want to extern in a Federal Court then go to Hastings... want to avoid cutthroat, gloomy students then you are fine at either school.

Yes, I visited a 1L class. As for the Socratic Method, you’re right…it can seem intimidating for people not familiar with it, and it serves a purpose. Almost all law schools use it. The difference is that it is applied in different ways at different schools. This is why it is important to visit schools to pick up on this.

As for Hastings’ proximity to federal courts, this may be advantageous, but I think it is overemphasized. Exactly how much can one accomplish by working during the already busy academic year? And how exactly does Hastings have “access to every court in the nation except for the US Supreme Court?” Summer jobs in the Bay Area, the jobs which most determine career prospects, are equally fair game for students from either school.

It is good that Hastings offers student housing, which is priced well under SF market rates. But most Hastings students do not live in The Tower. Many commute from other parts of the Bay Area. Don’t count on ZipCar for “super cheap” driving either, I already use it and the rates exceed $10/hour.

As far as jobs in San Francisco, including those during the summer and following graduation, the assertion that Hastings unquestionably beats Davis is just not true. The decision that admitted students face is between a large school with certain advantages (more course offerings, not having to get another apartment for summer jobs in SF), and a smaller school with others (more collegial, better quality of life). The schools are very similarly ranked and carry the same prestige. Visit them to determine their differences. Which one is better suited to help you succeed?

The Socratic method is applied by professors, not schools. It's just as incorrect to say that one professor's enthusiastic use is characteristic of the whole school as it is to say that one professor who did not use the socratic method during a tour is somehow characteristic of other professors at the school, or the school as a whole.

Courts: Hastings students have the ability to extern during the school year and it is nice to walk down the street and extern at federal district court, in the 9th Cir., or any level of the California courts. At Davis you cannot walk from school to this many courts. Additionally, as many students (specifically 1Ls) intern at courts during the summer you are already settled in the area and do not have to make housing arrangements for your internship.

Housing: yeah, I think there are only 250 or so rooms in the tower so not everyone lives there. Those that live off campus, like myself, commute in via public transit (Bus/MuniUndergrount/Bart). For those curious, I pay about $2.50 each way on bart. The ZipCar suggestion was for those that NEED a car, though the public transit in SF is sufficient to make owning a car unnecessary.

As for summer jobs, many 1Ls intern at courts (see above), while those at Hastings that choose firm jobs have a larger market to choose from (SF/Sac) assuming you don't want to move during the summer. If you are able to move during the summer then either school will do well--though each has an edge in their respective metro area. Don't forget to take the location of job interviews into account, however. And to clarify, it is unquestionable that Hastings has an edge in SF, but that does not mean this edge is unquestionably disproportionate. Hope that clarifies my position.

I'm not sure I buy the argument that King Hall has more collegial students than Hastings, we are a happy and helpful bunch. Also, the better QOL reflects a preference for rural versus city life or some other value placement. For me the QOL at Hastings beats Davis, for you it is the opposite. I also don't buy the Davis and Hastings have an equal rep argument... Hastings is usually considered 'better.'

Still, you your advice is correct: 'Visit them to determine their differences. Which one is better suited to help you succeed?'

After touring these schools this month, I realized that Davis was definitely the better option. At first, I applied to both thinking Hastings would be best because of its access to SF jobs and location in a great city, but what I found was quite different. SF is certainly beautiful, but Hastings is in one of its worst neighborhoods. I knew this before I visited, but what I found in The Tenderloin was even worse than I expected. Walking there from my hotel near Powell Street BART via Market Street, I was approached by a drug dealer, a couple times by beggars, and harassed by someone else. This is not the sort of neighborhood where I would enjoy spending three years of my life...

The Hastings buildings were nice and newly renovated, but students seemed downright gloomy. Socratic Method in the class I visited was the most extreme and unnecessary that I have seen in the five schools where I have attended classes. The Hastings class also had over 100 students and a seating chart that almost rivaled the height of the professor.

Moreover, the cost of living in San Francisco is just too high for law students. Let's face it, you will not perform at optimal levels if you're living in a cheap apartment in a sketchy part of the city or commuting from another part of the Bay Area. Paying perhaps $10k more per year for housing in San Francisco for a school equally prestigious as Davis just does not make sense. Why not just wait until after graduation and job offers to live in San Francisco, when you can actually enjoy it!

In contrast, I was very impressed by Davis. Before visiting, I was somewhat weary of the surroundings, since I live in a major city and enjoy it. But this was not an issue! Davis is an attractive and very leafy place with a defined downtown. People were friendly and laid back, and there were ample recreational activities. If you have a car, you can easily use it in Davis with a short commute. If you don't have one, you can easily get just about anywhere using a bicycle. The cost of living is much lower than San Francisco, which is still only an hour-long Amtrak ride away.

As for Davis Law itself, I found that the "open door" policy among the professors is true. Office doors were indeed open, and the professors were very approachable! Staff were responsive and really do seem to care about the students. I was also blown away by how much students trust each other with personal belongings. Generally, I noticed that Davis has the same high level of intellectual stimulation and career prospects as Hastings, but the quality of life at Davis, which is crucial for one's own success, is much higher than what one can expect at Hastings. Davis also beat Hastings in the most recent CA bar passage rates, and job prospects/average salaries in the public and private sectors are pretty much equal.

Regarding reputation, I spoke with a number of Bay Area attorneys who went to neither school (to avoid bias), and one school does not, by any means, beat the other. They are both fine schools, but one seems to have a better quality of life and smaller student body than the other.

Which class did you observe? It appears that your observation is not representative of the school as a whole and I would caution other students to visit and judge for themselves because in my experience the students are far from "gloomy." If the class was large I bet it was a first year class, which means the section has about 80 students, not 100; 2L and 3L classes are much smaller. As for the Socratic Method, it can be intimidating, but it serves a purpose which may seem "unnecessary" or "extreme" when observed by a 0L.

Speaking of classes: Hastings' size is a benefit because you have more classes from which to choose. Our size is a benefit because it assists in developing a variety of strong on campus groups rather than just a handful. Additionally, along with the smaller student body you have fewer class options, fewer professors, and a limited alumni network. Is Davis located next to any Federal courts?

Hastings is in a big city and that comes with a big city lifestyle. yes there are drug dealers and the homeless, but a polite "no thanks" usually does the trick to let them know you are not interested. Access to every court in the nation except for the US Supreme and all the legal opportunities in the Bay Area is a huge trade off for having to say "no thanks" once in a while.

Davis might be "definitely the better option" if you are concerted with driving your car to the library rather than walking, but other than that I'm not so sure the the "definitely better" conclusion is warranted. Many students that want access to a car and live in the residence tower (The Tower) which lets them pay well under market rates for SF housing, and then sign up for a service like ZipCar so they can access a car for super cheap.

Students should really investigate the school for themselves and think about the options available to them both before and after graduation. If you know you want to work in Sacramento, go to Davis without a doubt. If you know you want to work in SF, go to Hastings without a doubt. If you are on the fence, look at the school that has more options in your field. Don't have a field? then go with the "better" school in how you weigh your school preferences. Don't like a big city then go to Davis. Think you might want to extern in a Federal Court then go to Hastings... want to avoid cutthroat, gloomy students then you are fine at either school.

Thanks for the replies. HastingsOneL - do you live in the tower? If so, how's that scene? Where do people usually go out and have fun when not studying?

You think it'd be an easy decision to make between the 2 school environments but -- I love the city of SF and I loved the Davis campus (and I also enjoy having a car). Also, if you're not from the area, is it easy to meet other non-Hastings people around SF? Thanks.

I do not live in the tower, but many of my friends do live in the tower and they enjoy being so close to the classrooms. Some of the students that were not used to city streets at night did complain that it took them a week or so to acclimate, but now they don't notice anything. As for going out we are only a few steps from the underground MUNI system so they are able to go just about anywhere; bus stops are similarly close. The Mission seems to be a popular spot.

As for meeting new people outside the Hastings environment, that depends on where you live (tower, off-campus SF, off-campus east bay) and how much time you want to put into finding new people. Law school does consume a large chunk of your day and I think most students hang out with other students. As the class is rather large you will probably find several social circles that meet various expectations of school/life balance; I know I did. That said, I spent more time last semester hanging out with non-Hastings friends from my undergrad days than I spent hanging out with classmates. Go figure.

If I get into Davis I'll probably still go to Hastings, where I've already been admitted. Over the course of the last few days I've gone from terrified that Hastings is hyper competitive to realizing that all schools are competitive to an extent and there are bigger considerations to worry aout. Plus HastingsOneL was so adamant about the school being fun.

Glad to hear you are looking at law school from multiple viewpoints!

It's true: we've got a solid foundation of quality students, student organizations, and cool *&^% to do. My offer to show you around the school is still on the table assuming you are in the area. I believe the office of admissions has tours as well... also there is an admitted student day coming up in a few weeks that will have tours available.